Press Release: The last major fight of 2008 will be available to American fans on pay-per-view. Integrated Sports will distribute the December 20th heavyweight showdown between WBA champion Nikolay “The Russian Giant” Valuev and future Hall of Famer Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, on pay-per-view in both the United States and Canada, live from Zurich, Switzerland. Holyfield is attempting to make boxing history by defeating the largest man ever to hold a heavyweight championship. Valuev-Holyfield is promoted by Wilfried Sauerland’s Sauerland Event and its Managing Director, Christian Meyer, in association with Don King Productions. The broadcast is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports for live viewing at 3 PM/ET – 12 PM/PT on cable pay-per-view via iN Demand and TVN for a suggested retail price of only $24.95. Award-winning announcers Nick Charles and Al Bernstein will call all of the action.
“We excited to be distributing this historic heavyweight battle between the seven-foot Russian Giant, Nicolay Valuev, and a true living legend, Evander Holyfield,” Integrated Sports president Doug Jacobs said. “The Valuev-Holyfield card will be broadcast during the afternoon, so it won’t interfere with holiday plans. Strong supporting bouts, including two title fights, will also be shown on this pay-per-view card.”
The 12-round main event pits the WBA heavyweight champion -- 7’ 0”, 320-pound Valuev (49-1, 34 KOs) – versus former 4-time WBA title-holder Holyfield, who stands 6’ 2 ½” and weights approximately 215 pounds.
Valuev, who captured the WBA title with a 12-round decision against John Ruiz this past August, has lost only once, last year to Ruslan Chagaev, who is the WBA heavyweight “Champion in Recess” due to an injury.
Holyfield, fighting out of Atlanta (GA), is a 4-time former heavyweight champion, having defeated Buster Douglas, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson and John Ruiz for his titles. Holyfield was also an Olympic medallist and a past unified world cruiserweight title-holder. He is trying to surpass the legendary George Foreman as the oldest boxer in history to win a version of the heavyweight championship.
Also on PPV is an 8-round super middleweight bout between Danish southpaw Mads “Golden Boy” Larsen (50-2, 37 KOs), former IBO title-holder, and 5-time world kickboxing and Thai boxing champion, Roberto Cocco (9-2, 5 KOs), from Italy.
Highlights from some other fights on the card, time permitting, may be shown including a 12-round co-feature matching two undefeated heavyweights, German-based, Italian-born southpaw Francesco Pianeta (17-0, 11 KOs) defending his European heavyweight title against French challenger Johann Duhaupas (17-0, 10 KOs); former New York Knicks dancer Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-2-1, 0 KOs) defending her WIBA flyweight title against undefeated German favorite Nadia Raoul (9-0, 3 KOs); heavyweight Oleg Platov (26-1, 22 KOs) versus Jason Gavern (15-4-3, 8 KOs), cruiserweights Jimmy Kapanov (8-0, 5 KOs) and Paolo Ferrara (25-13-1, 7 KOs); heavyweight Timor Ibragimov (24-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. TBA.
